Bahraini opposition calls for protests to mark uprising anniversary

Bahraini opposition groups have called for protest rallies to mark the second anniversary of the popular uprising against the rule of Al Khalifa dynasty.

Bahrain’s main opposition bloc al-Wefaq and the February 14 Revolution Youth Coalition have called for separate protests this week.

The coalition has urged Bahrainis to go on strike and take to the streets on Thursday and march to the site of the iconic Pearl Square, the former epicenter of Bahrain’s revolution, on Friday.

This comes while al-Wefaq has called for a major rally on Friday outside the capital, Manama. Bahrainis have been holding protest rallies across the country for more than a week ahead of the anniversary.

Bahraini authorities say the planned rallies aim at putting pressure on the government-initiated national dialogue, which started on Sunday in a bid to end two years of anti-regime protests in the Persian Gulf state.

Meanwhile, al-Wefaq’s chief cleric Ali Salman said that the Manama regime is not serious about the so-called reconciliation talks, adding that the government has “not even made a single goodwill gesture.”

“Arrests and trials continue, so does the clampdown on freedoms,” Salman said…